In 1994, underappreciated filmmaker / actor Albert Brooks released a movie called "The Scout. In the film, Brendan Fraser plays Steve Nebraska, a phenom who can do anything on the field, but is hindered off of it by crippling mental troubles. Few people know that there is an actual "Steve Nebraska," and both he, and society, have struck out.Sportswriters pounced on the story of a 6 foot 6 inch behemoth of a man named Greg Nash who was literally discovered in the middle of nowhere (a semi-pro league in southern Louisiana). The media saw this powerful, switch-hitting, semi-literate Nash as a journalistic goldmine. To the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the team that first signed him, he was a potential draw and savior; a Simon Bolivar borne of the cane fields.

In less than two years, however, Nash went from savior to pariah. What, you ask, could precipitate such a calamitous downfall? It was the combination of two factors: Minor league stats that didn't exactly conjure up memories of Roy Hobbs in "The Natural" and a crime that a successful athlete can't just sweep under the legal system's rug: statutory rape.

So what became of "Toe" Nash as he was commonly known? After going to trial, Nash spent eight months in jail for his act, which, considering he was 18 at the time of the crime, seemed quite reasonable.

Of course, Nash lost eight months of precious development time, which pushed him further behind the many players eager to do whatever it takes for their cup of big league coffee. This was especially tragic in light of the fact that Nash has been behind on development all of his life.

He's another in a long line of athletes who, at a young age, displayed outstanding physical skills, but a less-than-outstanding mental capacity. Nash was rushed through the academic system in his school days and stripped of an education as a young adult by a father who raised him entirely on his own.

Of course, Nash got another chance after the Devil Rays released him, because teams will take a flyer on anyone who gets mentioned in the news. However, Nash kept finding ways to screw up.

He has been arrested for everything from domestic violence to robbery to your garden variety marijuana possession charge. The last straw came after a recent arrest for parole violation and second-degree battery. This resulted in Nash's release from the Cincinnati Reds. A potentially legendary bat was silenced by inner demons and a disadvantaged upbringing in the South.

If there is a moral to this story, it is damn hard to find. I tend to look at Nash's story as a tragic one. The fact of the matter is that there was something wrong with him that no one cared to, or was unable to, correct. Maybe it was because Nash was poor and because he could hit the ball a country mile that nobody recognized his problems.

If Nash had gotten caught only recently, he may have already been in the majors and would have received the preferential treatment doled out to athletes like immunity is to diplomats. So, perhaps the moral is, if you are going to sin, for goodness sake, make the All-Star team. God bless America!